They aren’t common in Staten Island where we live or many of the metro NYC areas, but the wharf borer is a type of beetle that can cause all kinds of damage to wooden foundations, docks, boat houses, and wood piles. This is where they breed. These types of insects like to live inside of the damp and rotten wood.
The digestion of some properties can be at risk for wharf borer infestations because those kinds of areas are where they feel at home.
Appearance
Wharf borers or a species of winged beetle. They go through a complete lifecycle from larvae to full-grown full grown adult and vary in size throughout that time.
Most of the time, adults will vary from 9 to 13 mm in length, most of the mulch sure larva measure about 30 mm, which is actually larger than the adult.
Wharf borers are easy to identify because the front part of their body is brownish or reddish yellow, while the wingtips are completely black. They are sides and legs are also black and if you look closely, the body is covered in yellow hairs.
More details on the life cycle
Unlike many insects, the wharf bar his lifecycle can last many years. It tends to lay eggs in damp and Ron would. If you find adult Beatles wandering around your home in the spring or the fall, it can be an indication of infestation. You will very rarely see larva unless you find them accidentally in wood that is infested. That is very rare because most of the time the problem will be in the foundation of the home when you have them inside the house.
Wharf borers in the house
As mentioned above, I wore for visitation that you see inside of the house is often coming from the foundation. This can be extremely costly and require a lot of time to fully remedy. However, there are a lot of other ways that you can take care of the problem fast and remove them from your notice.
How to get rid of wharf borer
- Remove any of the damp, damaged wood that they are living in or near. This may be where they originated from and are living. Do this as much as you can.
- Removing their place to live will quickly remove the issue.
- Use insecticide wherever insects have been found.
Spray the perimeter of rooms where you have found wharf borers.
Do not try this at home if you are not trained and knowledgeable on insecticides and their uses.
Preventing wharf borers in the future
Try to keep any wooden on your property away from direct contact with the ground.
If you have a large pile of firewood, for example, you can put it up on some sort of bracket so that it is levitating just above the ground. That way, it won’t get wet when it rains and there is groundwater.
places like that are where wharf borers will thrive.
Call an exterminator if the situation is severe
If you feel the extermination needs go beyond the amateur level, call a professional. If you are located in the New York or New Jersey areas, we can help you out personally. If not, call a local extermination professional. Click here to get in touch with Annihilator.